Praise for SWORD Of THE GODS “Cordell does it all while telling a legend that hits all the high notes of heroic fantasy Strange, enigmatic hero? Check Noble companions by his side? Check A diabolical villain from the nether reaches of another universe? Check Lots of action? Check Surprises to be discovered? Check Worth reading? Definitely.” —Grasping for the Wind “As a character, Demascus is full of mystery, excellent personality, approachable, naïve enough, vulnerable, strong beyond his own knowledge and very, very likeable His ability to relate and care for those around him, even if they’re insignificant compared with the stature of his persona and the importance of his mission, makes him a good heroic character that is credible At the same time, it leaves you wanting to see him uncovering his full potential to find out what he’s truly capable of Although a small taste of his power is given at the start of the book, it’s been so well crafted that it truly leaves you wanting to see more of the same Time and time again!” —Games Magazine ALSO BY BRUCE R CORDELL ABOLETHIC SOVEREIGNTY Book I Plague of Spells Book II City of Torment Book III Key of Stars THE PRIESTS Lady of Poison THE WIZARDS Darkvision THE DUNGEONS Stardeep Sword of the Gods SWORD OF THE GODS: SPINNER OF LIES ©2011 Wizards of the Coast LLC All characters in this book are fictitious Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC Published by Wizards of the Coast LLC Hasbro SA, represented by Hasbro Europe, Stockley Park, UB11 1AZ UK Forgotten Realms, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, their respective logos, Gamma World, Dark Sun, Prince of Undeath, Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead, and Dragon are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A and other countries All Wizards of the Coast characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC Cover art by: Lucas Graciano First Edition: April 2012 “Necropolis of the Sword” originally published in Dungeon #191 ©2011 Wizards “Explore Airspur: Brightest of the Fallen Stars” originally published in Dragon #377 ©2009 Wizards “Explore Airspur: Agents and Enemies” originally published in Dragon #378 ©2009 Wizards “Explore Airspur: Villains and Vagabonds” originally published in Dungeon #172 ©2009 Wizards eISBN: 978-0-7869-5995-2 640-38956000-001-EN For customer service, contact: U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, & Latin America: Wizards of the Coast LLC, P.O Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, +1-800-324-6496, www.wizards.com/customerservice U.K., Eire, & South Africa: Wizards of the Coast LLC, c/o Hasbro UK Ltd., P.O Box 43, Newport, NP19 4YD, UK, Tel: +08457 12 55 99, Email: wizards@hasbro.co.uk Europe: Wizards of the Coast p/a Hasbro Belgium NV/SA, Industrialaan 1, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium, Tel: +32.70.233.277, Email: wizards@hasbro.be Visit our websites at www.wizards.com www.DungeonsandDragons.com v3.1 For CC Contents Cover Other Books by This Author Title Page Copyright Dedication Map Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-one Chapter Twenty-two Chapter Twenty-three Chapter Twenty-four Epilogue Dramatis Personae Acknowledgments About the Author Author’s Note Backdrop Explore Airspur Welcome to Faerûn, a land of magic and intrigue, brutal violence and divine compassion, where gods have ascended and died, and mighty heroes have risen to fight terrifying monsters Here, millennia of warfare and conquest have shaped dozens of unique cultures, raised and leveled shining kingdoms and tyrannical empires alike, and left long forgotten, horror-infested ruins in their wake A LAND OF MAGIC When the goddess of magic was murdered, a magical plague of blue fire—the Spellplague—swept across the face of Faerûn, killing some, mutilating many, and imbuing a rare few with amazing supernatural abilities The Spellplague forever changed the nature of magic itself, and seeded the land with hidden wonders and bloodcurdling monstrosities A LAND OF DARKNESS The threats Faerûn faces are legion Armies of undead mass in Thay under the brilliant but mad lich king Szass Tam Treacherous dark elves plot in the Underdark in the service of their cruel and fickle goddess, Lolth The Abolethic Sovereignty, a terrifying hive of inhuman slave masters, floats above the Sea of Fallen Stars, spreading chaos and destruction And the Empire of Netheril, armed with magic of unimaginable power, prowls Faerûn in flying fortresses, sowing discord to their own incalculable ends A LAND OF HEROES But Faerûn is not without hope Heroes have emerged to fight the growing tide of darkness Battlescarred rangers bring their notched blades to bear against marauding hordes of orcs Lowly street rats match wits with demons for the fate of cities Inscrutable tiefling warlocks unite with fierce elf warriors to rain fire and steel upon monstrous enemies And valiant servants of merciful gods forever struggle against the darkness A LAND OF UNTOLD ADVENTURE THE CITY OF AIRSPUR, AKANÛL 16 LEAFFALL, THE YEAR OF THE AGELESS ONE (1479 DR) o DEMASCUS WAS PLAYING A game of tiles on his rooftop balcony, the memory of killing his lover returned He was studying a game board that spelled out improbable actions, fiery emotions, and especially dubious curse words The latter were courtesy of his absent opponent He nodded thoughtfully, then laid down several square playing pieces, each carved with a single letter, to spell the word conspire across a space marked with crossed wands That multiplied the value of his play by two … and he realized he’d just catapulted into the lead! When Riltana sees this, he thought, she’s going to curse me out as a rat-hearted cheater He grinned Riltana had a flare for laying down high-scoring words, probably thanks to the windsoul’s colorful vocabulary He’d discovered her talent a few months ago when she’d decisively beat him at a game that she said he “might find interesting.” Since then, they’d set up each game on the roof It was convenient for Riltana; she could drop in and make her play whether he was home or not Demascus was fascinated by tiles, despite the fact that Riltana trounced him five times out of six It wasn’t only that he enjoyed a challenge and anticipated the day his skill would rival his friend’s No, the real reason he couldn’t get enough was because sometimes the words on the board unlocked splinters of memory For instance, CONSPIRE That was a word to conjure with The two syllables suggested a wanton trespass, a meeting high above an unsuspecting— A gust of wind sprayed cold rain in his face His chain of thought collapsed “Shadow take it,” he muttered He rubbed water out of his eyes And just like that, the world went gray, as a recollection flung him somewhere else NE RAINY EVENING, WHILE A woman stood in a hallway, her features soft in trembling candlelight Her shoulders were bare and her eyes smoldered like distant storm clouds Her name was Madri, and Demascus loved her He stood a few paces from her, and he wore only loose trousers, baring his elaborate ash-gray designs The marks ran down his arms and across his back like the ghosts of tattoos His bone-white hair was wet and his pale skin tingled from the bath “Coming to bed?” she asked, winding a curl of hair around one finger in languid circles His blood surged higher It pounded in his temples like a drum I can’t go through with this, he thought I can’t … “What’s wrong? You’ve been quiet all night It’s not like you, Demascus.” Madri’s impish expression wavered “I took a new commission,” he said, his voice dull as a worn blade “One I wish for all my lives I hadn’t accepted If only I’d known who …” “You accept commissions without knowing the target?” “Sometimes.” Because whomever the gods choose always deserved death And when had he ever refused? Never Even … Oh, Madri! What secrets you keep? How awful they must be “You’re not frightened, surely,” she said, misreading his reticence “If I’m to believe a quarter of None know whether the aboleths and their servitors are the advance force of another assault by the Sovereignty, exiles from that fell kingdom, or aboleths that resided on Toril even before the return of Abeir What is certain is that none want to find out Level 17 Encounter (XP 9,850) ♦ aboleth lasher (level 17 brute; Monster Manual, page 8) ♦ aboleth overseer (level 18 elite controller; Monster Manual, page 8) ♦ aboleth servitors (level 16 minion; Monster Manual, page 9) ♦ abolethic skum (level 18 minion brute; Monster Manual 2, page 172) NETHERESE AGENTS Naibur Tinok and his band patrol the city, but a great many citizens of Netheril serve their nation openly as guards, scribes, and spies within and near the embassy (which rests on the large central island adjacent to the city’s courthouses) Given the propensity of the Netherese to cause trouble whenever they gather in large numbers, and the almost pathological need for PCs to meddle in the affairs of shadowy kingdoms, finding a way to introduce these agents as an obstacle to the party isn’t difficult Perhaps the PCs are finding an item, creature, or person that the Princes of the Empire would like brought home for study, so the groups clash Alternatively, these agents might serve as a preliminary threat to the PCs, as they uncover the plots of Naibur Tinok against the interests of Airspur An arc wherein the players confront Naibur after a few levels of dealing with his minions and allies could be a strong ongoing threat for mid-heroiclevel PCs Level Encounter (XP 900) ♦ human bandits (level skirmisher; Monster Manual, page 162) ♦ human berserker (level brute; Monster Manual, page 163) ♦ human guards (level soldier; Monster Manual, page 162) ♦ human mage (level artillery; Monster Manual, page 163) TANRIS’S WAREHOUSE Despite having no name, Tanris’s criminal enterprise has a highly organized structure, with warehouses around the city for smuggling of goods, hiding fugitives, and keeping kidnapped or killed victims until they can be properly disposed Tanris is not thoroughly involved in the dealings of some of these warehouses, preferring to keep out of the daily operations of those of his employees he can trust to make him coin Tanris keeps his most capable “workers” just outside the city, farther along the shore This allows him to store his most sensitive materiel without being noticed by authorities—and to keep the number of prying eyes and ears quiet when the inevitable conflict (and the ensuing cries of battle) erupts Level 10 Encounter (XP 2,950) ♦ dragonborn gladiator (level 10 soldier; Monster Manual, page 86) ♦ drow warrior (level 11 lurker; Monster Manual, page 94) ♦ duergar hellcaller (level 12 artillery; Monster Manual 2, page 94) ♦ gnome wolverine (level skirmisher; Monster Manual 2, page 129) ♦ ogre thugs (level 11 minion; Monster Manual, page 198) About the Author Brian Cortijo is a freelance designer and full-time university lackey—which means he looks at the college equivalent of character sheets all day He’s undergoing a homecoming of sorts, making his return to the FORGOTTEN REALMS® setting (since DRAGON #358) after short hiatus on other worlds, including an extended stay in his birth-city of New York Some of his recent works include Forgotten Heroes: Scythe and Shroud and Qadira: Gateway to the East EXPLORE AIRSPUR Villains and Vagabonds by Matt James illustration by Wayne England cartography by Jared Blando The beauty and majesty of Airspur is rivaled by none with its colorful hues and gentle flowing water beneath breathtaking earth motes It is that which stirs underneath the calm facade of this genasi city that brings the unseen, let alone understood, and the uncertainty of the night As with each city in Faerün, there is always another side; one that many choose to ignore or are simply too afraid to acknowledge ALYSHEX, WEAPONS DEALER Innocuously found within the city of Airspur is an eager yet cautious purveyor of weaponry; a querulous half-orc female by the name of Alyshex This local merchant is as beautiful as she is unscrupulous and is always looking out for herself Alyshex is a direct descendant of Khrulus, the previous leader of Airspur before the Spellplague brought the hordes of genasi refugees to the region Tactics Alyshex is intelligent and not beneath doing anything to get her way Though she is somewhat capable of defending herself, she often uses local thugs to the heavy lifting in combat ENCOUNTER GROUP Alyshex rarely travels anywhere without an entourage of goons at her side Level Encounter (XP 300) ♦ Alyshex (level artillery) ♦ human gang members (level minion, Forgotten Realms® Campaign Guide, page 31) ♦ human bandits (level skirmisher, Monster Manual®, page 162) HOOK: INTRODUCING ALYSHEX Alyshex often seeks out fledgling adventurers who appear easy to influence Alyshex is an unknown political threat to the government of Airspur While she has not explicitly gone out of her way to cause trouble, she is always looking for a way to usurp power The local magistrate offers to pay the characters to investigate criminal activity within Airspur relating to events surrounding Alyshex Regional Backg round: Airspur Airspur is the most powerful mercantile hub in all of Akanül and the ruling city of the region Though the population is primarily Genasi, most other races can be found within Benefit: +2 bonus to acrobatics and diplomacy Kevrick, Vistani Elder This vagabond is an Elder amongst the Vistani, a nomadic people who travel in caravans across the known world and beyond Kevrick is not inherently evil, but he is not good, either Kevrick always takes advantage of any situation and will go to great lengths to ensure that he ends up with the better end of the deal Tactics Kevrick prefers to strike with surprise if at all possible, gaining as much of an advantage as possible He will usually single out one opponent while using his evil eye of the Vistani power to keep others away ENCOUNTER GROUP Though Kevrick does travel alone from time to time, he usually has an entourage of friends and family following him around Level 15 Encounter (XP 6,400) ♦ Kevrick (level 15 elite skirmisher) ♦ human snipers (level 12 lurker, Dungeon 158) ♦ human soldier minions (level 15 minion, Dungeon 158) HOOK: INTRODUCING K EVRICK Kevrick likes to play pranks on people Though most of these pranks are harmless, he doesn’t mind angering someone for his own enjoyment Kevrick is always keen on enterprises that will bring more wealth to his pockets Anytime the characters stand to earn money, he could show up with a proposal The characters are ambushed within the city and robbed by Kevrick and his companions After being arrested for thievery, Kevrick has performed a daring escape The characters are hired to track him down and bring him to justice The local magistrate is interested in having the characters investigate illicit activities that Kevrick has been alleged to be involved in VALSHELAR: TRAITOR OF AIRSPUR Valshelar is a Genasi agent of the Netherese, recruited because he is native to the city He is tasked with infiltrating the inner circles of the Airspur government While his overall role is small, it is not uncommon for the Shadovar to deploy such agents for their own needs TACTICS Valshelar stalks his opposition from the shadows and uses terrain to his advantage If actively hunting someone, he will use his dart spray ability to slow his opposition and keep them from getting away If being hunted by the law (or others), he will use the same attack as a means to slow them while he gets away ENCOUNTER GROUP Valshelar never travels alone; he always has thugs nearby Level Encounter (XP 600) ♦ Valshelar (level elite lurker) ♦ human thugs (level minion, Dungeon 155) ♦ human ruffians (level skirmisher, Dungeon 155) HOOK: SHADOVAR INFILTRATION Valshelar is an easy NPC to introduce into your players’ exploits in the city of Airspur Whether he is involved in an elaborate political scheme or characters have the “simple” task of hunting him down, Valshelar provides nearly limitless possibilities to a young group of adventurers LONG-TERM PLOT DEVICE Valshelar is a great NPC to introduce long-term campaign plotlines Though he may seem too low-level to be involved with high-level shenanigans, he could be precisely what is needed to set things in motion in whatever direction you wish AZARDS AND HIDEAWAYS Fortune comes only to those willing to risk life and limb What thrills are to be sought in the majesty of Airspur? What is hidden behind Akanawater Falls that requires magical protection? AKANAWATER F ALLS One of the most beautiful sites (or sights) in all of Faerün is the breathtaking, raw power of the Akanawater Falls Those who have been fortunate enough to explore this treasure have rarely been disappointed The crystal-clear water pours down in a vortex of swirls that can leave one deafened by its moiling roar What is mostly unknown is that which lies below; the entrance to an elaborate labyrinth that leads to the Sepulcher of the Goblin Baron OPTIONAL ENCOUNTER The labyrinth leading to the sepulcher provides excellent opportunities for additional skill challenges and combat encounters Any subterranean creature would fit well in this situation, according to party level Skill Challenge: “Akanawater Falls,” page 103 SEPULCHER OF THE GOBLIN BARON Hidden deep within the recesses below Akanawater Falls is an underwater entrance to a secret goblin hideout Fresh air is abundant here, thanks to tiny natural vents leading to the surface, making this the perfect lair for these miscreants Long ago, an enterprising goblin literally stumbled into this location and recognized its value He recruited others to help in his devious plans to rob merchant ships in the area surrounding Airspur These goblins are a major nuisance in the area, but they’ve never been caught—because no one can find their lair The Firestorm Cabal has branded the leader as “the Goblin Baron” for his ability to plan and lead these raids Adventurers may find clues to the sepulcher’s location in old documents or early accounts of the area, through rituals, by interrogating goblins, or by talking to the very seediest characters in town—the sorts that most people avoid like the plague When the characters arrive at the entrance of the cave, read: The dank smell of rotting fish permeates the cave entrance Though it is dark within, you can make out a slight flickering of light Tactical Encounter: “Sepulcher of the Goblin Baron”, page 104 SCALE THE ENCOUNTER A current DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Insider subscription affords players and dungeon masters alike the opportunity to access the new DM tools Among them is the D&D Monster Builder, a tool that allows a DM to adjust the level and power of monsters If your characters are above the recommended level for any of these encounters, use this tool to adjust accordingly This saves you time while ensuring that characters are sufficiently challenged by the monsters A1: AKANAWATER FALLS Encounter Level (625 XP) Seething below and to the west of the city of Airspur is the turbulent water of Akanawater Falls Rituals have been worked on the falls to increase their intensity, chiefly as a means to drive underwater turbines which power the city’s large granaries Creatures trying to dive beneath the falls can find themselves dragged into a maelstrom and unexpected machinery SECRETS OF AKANAWATER F ALLS It is necessary for the characters to traverse the Akanawater Falls in order to reach the sepulcher of the goblin baron Brute strength need not be the only means of overcoming this turbulent place; wits are also required if one is to survive Level: (375 XP) Complexity: (requires successes before failures) Primary Skills: Athletics, Arcana, Insight, Nature Athletics (DC 15): Knowing that these situations can be grave, you use brute strength to swim through the raging water and strong currents This skill can be used to gain any number of successes in this challenge Arcana (DC 15): The character senses the magical influences that Airspur deployed to increase the flow of water in this area and uses that information to find a path to safety This skill can be used to gain a maximum of successes in this challenge Insight (DC 10): The character identifies the mechanical portions of the turbines and is able to avoid their sweeping blades This skill can be used to gain a maximum of success in this challenge Nature (DC 10): The character has had prior experience with waterfalls and understands how currents work beneath them Using this knowledge lets the character follow the safest course through the treacherous eddies This skill can be used to gain any number of successes in this challenge Success: The party successfully navigates to the entrance of the Sepulcher of the Goblin Baron Failure: The characters are tossed by the currents and waves beneath the waterfall and dashed back onto the shore Each character who participated in the skill challenge loses two healing surges, then characters can try again if they desire A2: SEPULCHER OF THE GOBLIN BARON Encounter Level (650 XP) ♦ Goblin underboss (U) ♦ goblin blackblades (B) ♦ goblin cutters (C) SETUP This encounter takes place in a watery grotto tucked well behind the Akanawater Falls in the city of Airspur The goblins use the grotto to store treasures that have been pilfered over the years The natural structure and location of this cavern make it an ideal place for any vagabond to stow his loot When the characters first enter the sepulcher, read: The strong stench of garbage and refuge permeates the humid air and fills your mouth with a bitter taste A soft yellow glow emanates from some sort of natural fungi that to grows in the area About the Author When not writing for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®, Matt is chained to his desk working endlessly on developing his website, Loremaster (http://www.loremaster.org) You can also follow Matt’s gaming insights at www.twitter.com/matt_james_fr From the molten core of a dead universe Hunger Spills a seed of evil Fury So pure, so concentrated, so infectious Hate Its corruption will span worlds The Temple of Yellow Skulls Don Bassingthwaite Sword of the Gods Bruce R Cordell Under the Crimson Sun Keith R.A DeCandido Oath of Vigilance James Wyatt Shadowbane Erik Scott de Bie Find these novels at your favorite bookseller Also available as ebooks DungeonsandDragons.com CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURE The Dungeons & Dragons® Fantasy Roleplaying Game Starter Set has everything you need for you and your friends to start playing Explore infinite universes, create bold heroes and prepare to begin– or rediscover– the game that started it all Watch Videos Read Sample Chapters Get product previews Learn more about D&D® products at DungeonsandDragons.com ... Plague of Spells Book II City of Torment Book III Key of Stars THE PRIESTS Lady of Poison THE WIZARDS Darkvision THE DUNGEONS Stardeep Sword of the Gods SWORD OF THE GODS: SPINNER OF LIES ©2011... Sun, Prince of Undeath, Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead, and Dragon are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A and other countries All Wizards of the Coast characters and their distinctive... ran off with the canvas, leaving her in the lurch! Instead of presenting Carmenere with a gift that would’ve blown the woman’s stockings off, Riltana had come off as complicit in the theft of